Pioneering pedagogies that use mindfulness and reflective techniques in the classroom can help students settle their minds and roundup their attention to be more receptive learners. A growing number of programs and centers point to alternative teaching approaches that incorporate mindfulness, contemplation, and engaged learning environments. Notable educators are undertaking poignant research and writing on the topic of mindfulness in education. Research demonstrates that “contemplative pedagogy” and the integration of mindful practices into higher education facilitates the achievement of traditional educational goals such as improved cognitive and academic performance.

As you sign up for ARLIS/NA conference tours and workshops, we’d like to draw your attention to a new edition in the Postcards from the Edge workshop series. This year the focus will be on developing an understanding of the current scholarship in urban and regional planning as well as hands-on training in online planning resources.

We’ll set the stage for the afternoon with brief presentations and a panel discussion by three guests: Barbara Becker, former dean of the UT-Arlington School of Urban and Public Affairs, Patrina Newton, senior planner from the Fort Worth City Planning Department, and Brian Chatman, content manager for Open Data Fort Worth. After what is sure to be an informative discussion, we’ll move to workshop mode. Cecilia Smith, the Geospatial Librarian from Texas A&M, will lead an instruction session on GIS resources. We’ll spend the last portion of our afternoon discussing and delving into online databases and tools relevant to the multi- and cross-disciplinary facets of urban and regional planning studies.

The workshop will be held at the UT-Arlington Library. Transportation from and back to the Omni Hotel will be provided for all attendees. If it sounds interesting and useful, sign up!

Kathy Edwards, Clemson University

Rebecca Price, University of Michigan

Marsha Taichman, Cornell University
If you have questions, contact Marsha at met228@cornell.edu

The 2015 ARLIS/NA Conference is quickly approaching. We are looking for someone to jump into the role of vice-moderator of the Reference and Information Services Section (RISS). Don’t be shy! New faces and new ideas are welcome. You would be working with Beth Hylen as she moves into the role of moderator. Your term would last one year, with the hope that you would transition into the role of moderator upon the commencement of the 2016 ARLIS/NA Conference. If you are interested in reference, this is a great opportunity to meet others with similar interests and shape the conversation moving forward. RISS includes a lively bunch of information professionals from a myriad of backgrounds.

Meeting ID: 634-602-757
We will not be using audio. The meeting will be held via text chat.
Not at your computer? Click the link to join this meeting from your iPhone®, iPad®, Android® or Windows Phone® device via the GoToMeeting app.

M&T Reviews is managed by co-editors Hannah Bennett, Elizabeth Schaub, and Emilee Mathews, who also serves as the appointed liaison to theRISS to ensure that an area of M&T Reviews directly reflects the sorts of tools and resources of interest to the RISS membership.

M&T Reviews debuted in April.

Two authors of the April publication are RISS members – Amy Ballmer and Sylvia Page. Congrats to both!

If you would like to author a post, please contact Emilee Mathews.

Call for Vice-Moderator for 2015

Please let us know if you are interested in being Vice-Moderator for RISS!

Discussion about RISS News Contributor position

Please let us know if you are interested in being RISS News Contributor!

Could the news contributor position become a blog editor for RISS? Does anyone look at the RISS blog? Elizabeth will post once a month.

Elizabeth plans to have a RISS hashtag post on Twitter so we can be seen in the greater ARLIS community. First, ARLIS must set Twitter policies.

ACTION ITEM: Generate RISS blog content.

RISS Webinars

We would like to have a few RISS-sponsored ARLIS/NA webinars.

Emilee Mathews is on the Education Subcommittee and has offered to work with us on a proposal. Also, Alice Whiteside is chair of the Education Subcommittee and she would like to work with us.

From Wikipedia: a journal club is a group of individuals who meet regularly to critically evaluate recent articles in the academic literature, generally of some branch of science or philosophy. Journal clubs are usually organized around a defined subject in basic or applied research.

It was mentioned that the Social Media chat group distributed a reading list prior to their conference session. They used the list for discussion. Should we do something similar for our RISS meeting next year?

ACTION ITEM: RISS should start an online journal club. We could add it to our webinar agenda.

Open Discussion

TOPICS – 2015 Conference session topics:

Reference service to diverse groups

Working with English as a second language patrons.

How to identify those who need help?

Use of LibGuides and other embedded course guides – pros & cons (are we spoon-feeding? Is there room for self-discovery?)

Changing nature of resources and how that affects what we do with instruction

Lifelong research process (student access to information and databases after graduation as well as service to other researchers)

Instructional services (how do we make an independent researcher?)

Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) threshold concepts (what are they? How do we integrate them into our instruction programs?

The #arlis2014 Reference and Information Services Section (RISS) will meet Sunday May 4, 2014, from 8:00- 9:00am, in the Conference Theater of the Grand Hyatt. Do not forget to check out the RISS workshop and RISS session. Bring coffee! :)